CPASS: Clinic Plus Antimicrobial Surveillance System

CPASS integrates real-time pharmacovigilance within Clinic Plus, leveraging patient prescription data to combat antimicrobial resistance. It empowers healthcare providers with actionable insights for evidence-based decision-making, addressing the global threat of antibiotic-resistant infections.

Vincent Matsiko

Globally, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant challenge to public health, leading to increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. In low- and middle-income countries like Uganda, where access to quality healthcare is limited, the problem is exacerbated by factors such as overuse of antibiotics, substandard drug quality, and inadequate surveillance systems in the private health sector.

This brings us to the specific problem we are addressing, revolving around the escalating threat of AMR and bacterial infections, particularly in private healthcare facilities in Uganda. In these facilities, most patients are quickly prescribed antibiotics, which may or may not be based on empirical lab results, and patients often change prescriptions without proper oversight or follow-up. Additionally, patients frequently change prescriptions with over the counter self-prescriptions, leading to challenges in tracking medication history and potential adverse drug reactions. As a result, bacterial infections in these populations often lead to severe complications and treatment failures due to the emergence of drug-resistant strains.

Clinic Plus's integration of real-time pharmacovigilance aims to address these challenges by leveraging patient prescription data, including rapid changes in prescriptions to monitor antibiotic effectiveness, detect emerging resistance patterns, and implement targeted interventions to mitigate the spread of AMR.

Clinic Plus serves healthcare providers in private healthcare facilities, administrators, and policymakers like National Drug Agencies (NDA), particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Uganda. These stakeholders face challenges related to antibiotic misuse, inadequate surveillance systems, and the emergence of AMR in their patient populations.

Clinic Plus addresses their needs by providing the following;

Enhanced Patient Care: By integrating pharmacovigilance capabilities, Clinic Plus supports healthcare providers in optimizing antibiotic prescribing practices, improving patient safety, and reducing the risk of treatment failure due to AMR.

Operational Efficiency: Clinic Plus streamlines healthcare operations by automating data collection, analysis, and reporting, enabling healthcare facilities to make informed decisions, allocate resources efficiently, and implement targeted interventions to combat AMR.

To understand the needs of our target audience, we engage in ongoing consultations with healthcare providers, administrators, and NDA, soliciting feedback on the usability, functionality, and effectiveness of Clinic Plus. Through user workshops, and surveys, we gather insights to refine our solution and ensure it aligns with the evolving needs of the healthcare community. Additionally, we collaborate with local healthcare organizations and regulatory bodies to ensure that Clinic Plus meets regulatory requirements and addresses the specific challenges faced by healthcare facilities in low-resource settings.

Clinic Plus provides several public goods essential for addressing antimicrobial resistance and enhancing global health outcomes. Firstly, our solution offers open-access knowledge and insights derived from comprehensive pharmacovigilance data, facilitating informed decision-making and policy formulation to combat AMR. Secondly, Clinic Plus promotes data sharing and collaboration among healthcare providers, contributing to the collective understanding of AMR trends and best practices. Additionally, our integrated approach fosters the development of open-source tools and resources for monitoring antibiotic effectiveness and detecting emerging resistance patterns. By offering these public goods, Clinic Plus empowers stakeholders worldwide to tackle AMR effectively, ensuring equitable access to essential healthcare information and interventions.

Clinic Plus's integration of pharmacovigilance is poised to create tangible impact by improving patient outcomes, enhancing healthcare quality, and mitigating the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Through real-time monitoring of antibiotic effectiveness and detection of emerging resistance patterns, our solution enables healthcare providers to deliver personalized and timely interventions, reducing the incidence of treatment failures and adverse drug reactions. This directly benefits patients by ensuring safer and more effective medication regimens tailored to their needs. Moreover, by strengthening healthcare infrastructure and promoting data-driven decision-making, Clinic Plus contributes to broader public health goals, safeguarding community well-being and reducing the burden of AMR-related complications. The logical link between our activities, outputs, and outcomes is supported by existing research on the efficacy of pharmacovigilance in enhancing patient safety and optimizing antibiotic usage, as well as feedback from healthcare professionals who have experienced the positive impact of Clinic Plus in their practice.

Over the next year, we plan to scale our impact by expanding the deployment of Clinic Plus's integrated pharmacovigilance module to additional private healthcare facilities across Uganda. This will involve training more healthcare professionals on the use of the system and optimizing its integration with existing electronic health record (EHR) systems. Furthermore, we will seek to collaborate with relevant stakeholders, such as government health agencies and international organizations, to advocate for the adoption of pharmacovigilance initiatives at a national level.

Over the next three years, our scalability efforts will focus on regional expansion within East Africa, leveraging partnerships with healthcare networks and organizations to introduce Clinic Plus to neighboring countries. Additionally, we aim to enhance the functionality of Clinic Plus by integrating advanced analytics capabilities and predictive modeling to anticipate emerging trends in antimicrobial resistance. By establishing a robust ecosystem of support and fostering innovation in healthcare management, we aim to position Clinic Plus as a leading solution for addressing antimicrobial resistance on a regional scale.

We measure success against our impact goals through a combination of quantitative and qualitative indicators. Quantitative metrics include the reduction in adverse drug reactions, improvement in patient safety scores, and increased efficiency in healthcare operations, measured through data collected from the integrated pharmacovigilance module. Additionally, we track the number of healthcare facilities adopting Clinic Plus and the percentage of healthcare professionals trained in its use.

Qualitatively, we assess the satisfaction and feedback from healthcare providers regarding the usability and effectiveness of Clinic Plus in managing antibiotic prescriptions and monitoring patient outcomes. We also monitor the extent of collaboration and knowledge-sharing among healthcare networks facilitated by Clinic Plus.

Performance from our pilot indicates a significant reduction in adverse drug reactions by 15% within the first six months of implementation, along with a 20% improvement in patient safety scores. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of Clinic Plus in enhancing pharmacovigilance practices and improving patient outcomes.

Several barriers may impede our goals over the next year and the next three years. Financial constraints could hinder our ability to expand Clinic Plus's integration into additional healthcare facilities, especially in rural or underserved areas where access to quality healthcare is limited. Technical challenges may arise in ensuring seamless interoperability with diverse electronic health record systems used across different healthcare settings.

Legal and regulatory barriers, such as compliance with data privacy laws and regulations, could pose challenges in accessing and sharing patient data for pharmacovigilance purposes. Cultural factors, including resistance to adopting new technologies or changing established healthcare practices, may slow down the adoption of Clinic Plus in certain communities.

To overcome these barriers, we plan to pursue partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, and donor organizations to secure funding for expansion initiatives. We will invest in ongoing technical development to address interoperability challenges and ensure Clinic Plus remains compatible with evolving healthcare systems. Additionally, we will engage with local stakeholders to address cultural barriers and build trust in the effectiveness of Clinic Plus in improving patient safety and healthcare outcomes.

We are applying to The Trinity Challenge because it offers a unique platform to leverage data-driven innovations in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), aligning perfectly with Clinic Plus's mission. The challenge provides access to resources, networks, and expertise essential for overcoming specific barriers we face, such as limited access to comprehensive data sets in low-resource settings. The Trinity Challenge can facilitate collaborations with diverse stakeholders, including researchers, policymakers, and healthcare providers, fostering the exchange of knowledge and resources to enhance our solution's impact. Additionally, the challenge offers opportunities for validation and recognition, crucial for scaling our solution and attracting further investment to address AMR effectively. Through The Trinity Challenge, we aim to accelerate the development and adoption of Clinic Plus's pharmacovigilance platform, ultimately contributing to global efforts to combat antibiotic resistance.

We are eager to collaborate with esteemed organizations such as the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, known for its cutting-edge research and innovation in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Partnering with the Ineos Oxford Institute will provide invaluable expertise and resources to further enhance the effectiveness of Clinic Plus's pharmacovigilance platform.

Additionally, collaboration with The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation (PJMF), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health can offer substantial support in terms of funding, technical guidance, and access to networks of experts in global health and infectious diseases. These partnerships will strengthen our ability to scale our solution regionally and globally, ensuring broader reach and impact in addressing the challenge of antibiotic resistance.

Furthermore, collaboration with academic institutions such as Makerere University can provide valuable insights into the local healthcare landscape and facilitate community engagement efforts. Leveraging the expertise and networks of these organizations will be instrumental in overcoming barriers and accelerating the implementation and impact of Clinic Plus's solution.